The Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Recently, John and I traveled to a dear friends' out of state wedding.  I was stoked about the weekend and who wouldn't be!?!  Upon arriving, we would be getting ready to take a Jazz Dinner Cruise around the lake with the happy couple.  Plus, three days at an amazing resort would be just the vacation we needed.

I booked our stay at the resort three months in advance under the wedding block reserved for the joyous event.  I saved for the trip well in advance and intended to pay it all off in cash the moment we returned home.

Please, do not stay at The Abbey Resort.  Do your best to not be enticed by the commodities they offer, for they all come at a very steep price.

Let down #1 was that my accommodations were only discounted at the event rate for one night, not all three.  This greatly exceeded my price expectations for our stay here.

Let down #2 was that none of the rooms reserved under the wedding block were near each other!  We were all scattered about various buildings and floors.  We were all under the impression that we would be on the same floor in the same hall.

Let down #3 What do you mean there is an extra daily fee for enjoying the resort!?!  Yes, there was a daily fee on top of the expensive room rate for being at the resort which was for things including but not limited to access to the pool.  It did not, however, include any breakfast or even a bottle of water.

Let down #4 was that for the price of admission and accommodation, you received sub-par service and low quality items.  Wait staff that did not know what the bar stocked or did not stock; bar tenders and servers alike, that didn't seem to want to serve anyone and moved at a snails pace; well spirits at top shelf prices with the cheapest mixers available, etc.

There are other things I could go on about.  But what it boils down to is that at the end of my stay we felt like we were not treated as guests, or even as people, but as walking dollar signs.  No one went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and special.  I have had much better experiences at regular hotels and when I plan to stay at a resort I do expect to be treated better and receive better. for the amount of extra money I spend.  Instead, I drove home feeling like I was robbed for an experience I thought would be so much more than it was.  I could have gone on a five day cruise to the Caribbean for what I spent to stay at this resort for three days.

I did complete the online survey which I received via email from the resort.  About a week later, I received a reply email entitled: Concerning your stay at The Abbey Resort. 

"Thank you for recently staying with us at The Abbey Resort. We value each guest, as we know that you have a choice when deciding where to stay while here in Fontana on business or pleasure.

I had a chance to review the survey that you recently completed. I was concerned to hear about your experience with our hotel. We strive to accommodate our all of our guests and their needs, and I was disappointed to hear about the problems you encountered. I know that does not change your experience but I hope that you can feel confident that we heard your concerns and they will be discussed at our next Management Meeting.

Thank you again for your feedback, we truly appreciate knowing about our guest's experiences so we can celebrate our successes and address our challenges to better serve you in the future. We look forward to your return when you are in the area again."

What are you thoughts and opinions?  Have you had a horrible experience somewhere?  Have you had a fabulous experience somewhere?  Please share!

What to Eat When You Don't Want to Heat Up the Kitchen

Gazpacho!

I'm sorry, that wasn't a sneeze.  Gazpacho is an appetizer attributed to Spain.  It's a soup you serve cold, and you don't need to cook any of the ingredients to make it.  This makes it a perfect dish to serve when we're in the middle of a heat wave and the thought of turning on your stove or oven is enough to send you into a heat stroke.

Earlier this week, I made a gazpacho and served it with sandwiches.  It was the perfect fare for this 93+ week here in PA.

The recipe I followed was this Blender Gazpacho from Martha Stewart.  I used two large beefsteak tomatoes, 1 cup roasted red peppers, 3 slices of Udi's gluten free bread that I toasted, 1/2 of a small regular cucumber.  The rest of the ingredients were as instructed in the recipe.  My John was weary about trying a cold soup, stating the idea of chilled soup was off-putting, but he loved this!

The sandwiches I made were bacon and avocado.  Toast four slices of bread, I used Udi's gluten free multigrain.  As far as cooking bacon goes, I cut the package in half with scissors so all the bacon slices are half slices.  Crisp up enough for 5 half slices each sandwich (10 for two).  I buy uncured as I hear those pesky added nitrates are no good for you, plus it's not as salty.  Regular bacon is way too salty for us.  Cut a ripe avocado in half lengthwise, twist and pull apart.  Take the back end of your knife and hit the pit with the blade, twist, and the pit should pop right out.  Thinly slice the avocado.  Slather on some classic hummus, add the avocado and bacon.  It's wonderful with this tomato based gazpacho.

We also eat of lot of meals that are sliced fruits and veggies with hummus, prosciutto or dry sausage, olives, cheese, nuts.  It's mostly because it's quick and easy, but in the summer it's also light and refreshing without heating up my kitchen.

What is your favorite summer cuisine at home?  Please let me know how you like the gazpacho!